September

To kick off ICL Opening Day, join the group for a special coffee and refreshments, and to meet new members, as we begin the Fall Semester of 2013.

**Please wear your name tag!**

Coyote tales have been told from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Arctic to Mexico, and of course, by Native Americans here in the Pacific Northwest. These myths impart basic values and beliefs while providing moral instruction. Trickster, transformer, and cultural hero, Old Man Coyote possesses all the elements that form the human character. He is sacred and sinful, majestic and petty, joyful and miserable, heroic and cowardly. The many cycles of Coyote tales reflect the cycle of life itself. This talk will address Coyote's role as a boundary crosser, examining in detail the so-called Coyote-Orpheus myth, a group of tales concerning the attempted recovery of a beloved person from the land of the dead. Nearly always there is some condition attached to this unusual favor by the rulers of the dead. This condition may be, like the classical myth, not to look at the wife, not to touch her, not to let her out of a bag, or not to be too hasty. The taboo is nearly always broken, so the recovery is a failure. A careful comparison of a Nez Perce myth “Coyote Visits the Land of the Dead” with the myth of Orpheus reveals the noteworthy structural similarity of the two myths. Yet while Old Man Coyote and Orpheus go through nearly identical experiences, the ultimate effect on these two protagonists is strikingly different.

Dr. Curtis Yehnert is a professor of English at Western Oregon University. His areas of teaching are American Literature, Folklore, and Creative Writing (fiction and creative nonfiction). His areas of research are Contemporary American Literature, Modernism/Postmodernism, Existential Criticism, and Native American Folklore.

Unlike oratorio, the Lutheran church cantata was part of a regular religious service (specifically, the Sunday service). It evolved as a musical commentary on a given week's particular Bible reading, becoming known as the musical "sermon before the sermon."

This lecture examines the evolution of the Lutheran church cantata and its use of operatic elements. It concludes with a discussion of Johann Sebastian Bach's Cantata no. 140, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme.

In this follow-up to the previous hour's Greenburg video lecture, we will explore Bach's use of text painting and other musical symbolism, familiar devices to the listeners of his day. We will visit segments of his cantatas Der Himmel lacht, Die Erde jubilieret; Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott; and Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen; excerpts from his Christmas Oratorio, which is actually a set of six individual cantatas, will also be heard. Other interesting and salient examples will come from a motet and from the St. Matthew Passion. We will conclude with a filmed lecture featuring one of the world's foremost interpreters of Bach, Helmuth Rilling of Stuttgart, Germany, as he gives insights into Bach's beloved Wedding Cantata, sharing the stage with soprano Sylvia McNair.

After World War II a group of American soldiers found themselves unwelcome in an Oregon hometown, even though they had served heroically in the South Pacific and in Europe. Community leaders, including veterans’ groups, had removed their names from the local war memorial and proposed a Constitutional amendment to deprive them of their citizenship. The racist hometown homecoming of these Japanese American veterans gained nationwide notoriety.

These veterans included one who eventually challenged Oregon’s Fair Employment Practices Act and two whose appeal of their imprisonment for insubordination ended at the Pentagon 37 years later. My talk will be based on more than 100 oral histories as well as extensive documents, including files from the veterans’ group that led the campaign. We’ll span events from the past and present.

This talk will also provide a preview of an exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society. The Congressional Gold Medal, given to all Nisei (second generation) World War II veterans in 2011, will be displayed in Portland (the only Pacific Northwest venue) from August 24 through September 29. An exhibit related to these Japanese American veterans will accompany the exhibit. We’ll invite visitors to examine these issues and we’ll ask them to consider, “What would YOU do?”

Youtube book link

Professor Tamura's résumé:

• B.S., Western Oregon University
• M.Ed., Oregon State University
• Ed.D., Oregon State University
• Professor of Education, Willamette University [after June, 2013, Professor Emerita]
• Co-Editor-in-Chief, The Oregon Encyclopedia
• Presenter, speeches & workshops on Japanese Americans during World War II
• John McClelland Award for article in The COLUMBIA, Washington State Historical Society
• Author, The Hood River Issei: An Oral History of Japanese American Settlers in Oregon's Hood River Valley, University of Illinois Press
• Author, upcoming book on Hood River Japanese American World War II veterans, University of Washington Press
• University service award
• Senior Fellow, American Leadership Forum of Oregon
• Fall 2010 sabbatical, Tokyo International University

This topic raises questions about the traditional view of Christian origins based on the triumph of the proto-orthodox party in the third century and proposes a new view of the emergence of Christianity based on recent discoveries and methodologies.

Professor McGaughy's résumé:

A.B., Ohio Wesleyan University
B.D., Drew Theological Seminary
M.A., Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
George H. Atkinson Professor Emeritus of Religious and Ethical Studies, 1981-2007;
Senior Research Fellow, Center for Ancient Studies and Archaeology, 2009-present

Professor McGaughy came to Salem in 1981 as the first holder of the George H. Atkinson Chair of Religious and Ethical Studies. Before, he and his late mentor, Robert Funk, had helped to establish the Religious Studies Department at the University of Montana. In addition, they founded Scholars Press, and Prof. McGaughy served as one of its first editors.

At Willamette University, Prof. McGaughy became a driving force in the establishment of the Classical Studies Program (founded in 1998) and chaired it for many years. The author of a book on Hellenistic Greek grammar and the co-author (with Bob Funk) of a New Testament Greek textbook, Prof. McGaughy taught elementary ancient Greek and classes on Herodotus, Greek biography, Hellenistic Greek literature, and Hellenistic mystery religions for the Classical Studies Program and received the United Methodist Distinguished Teaching Award.

Prof. McGaughy was also instrumental in the founding of the Willamette Journal of the Liberal Arts (1983), the Salem Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America chartered in 1995), and, as an ordained United Methodist minister himself, in the establishment of a non-denominational theological seminary in Salem, the "Northwest House of Theological Studies (1998). In Santa Rosa, CA, he and Bob Funk started the Westar Institute and the associated Polebridge Press. Furthermore, Prof. McGaughy has served as President and Executive Secretary both of the Pacific Northwest Region of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature.

Professor McGaughy retired from Willamette University after 25 years of service in May 2007. After serving as Director of the new Center of Ancient Studies and Archaeology (est. 2007) at Willamette University from 2007-2009, he is now the Center's first Senior Research Fellow. In addition, he continues to be the editor of Polebridge Press and to serve on the Board of Directors of the Westar Institute and the Northwest House of Theological Studies.

This session will enable participants to:
• Understand market forces putting pressure on hospital margins
• Identify the State and Federal policy, programs and prevailing reimbursement mechanisms influence health
care finance and care delivery
• Evaluate reform implications on relationships between hospitals and physicians

Aaron Crane is the Chief Finance and Strategy Officer of Salem Health, a large regional medical center, critical access hospital, and medical group practice, based in Salem, Oregon. He came to Salem Health in January, 2004. Prior to his current role, he served Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU), Oregon’s only academic medical center, for seven years. He began his term at OHSU in 1997 as the corporate comptroller and was promoted to Hospital CFO in 2000. Mr. Crane has experience with two other community hospitals in Oregon. He recently completed his Masters in Healthcare Administration at the University of Minnesota. He has two children ages 21 and 18, and makes wine in his very limited spare time. Snow Skiing and scuba diving are his recreational passions.

[N.B. Mr. Crane has graciously allowed us to post his PowerPoint presentation to the ICL web site. To view it as a PDF file (no PowerPoint required), please click here.]

A few linguists have claimed to reconstruct words from the world’s first language, but this work is extremely controversial. For one, language change is so thorough that it is hard to imagine why any words would have stayed identifiable in any language after as long as 150,000 years. Moreover, languages tend to have words in common with similar sounds and meanings just by chance. There are also problems with the “Proto-World” hypothesis in terms of reconstruction of language families’ proto-words.

This presentation will offer an overview of livestock production and meat processing in Oregon. We will explore industry statistics, challenges, new opportunities and areas of growth. The discussion will include useful information for consumers, and resources for those who want to support local ranchers.

Nate Rafn is the executive producer of Living Culture, a television program about local food and agriculture. He and his wife, Rochelle, operate Dinner at the Rafns', a monthly supper-club that highlights local farmers and artisans. More information can be found at McK Ranch. 

Willamette's Theatre Department's presentation will consist of a discussion of their first production of the year:

“The Conference of the Birds” Stage version by Jean-Claude Carriere and Peter Brook. Based on the poem by Farid Uddi. Guest Director Shana Cooper. Sept. 27-Oct. 12, 2013

This presentation examines the close cultural bond between the United States and France, specifically through America’s greatest cultural export: jazz. Since World War I French people have embraced jazz music and welcomed American musicians into their midst. Perhaps it is the spontaneous and improvisational character of jazz that has inspired so many significant French jazz artists as well.

Gordon Lee is a composer, jazz pianist, arranger, conductor and music educator who is well known throughout the Pacific Northwest. Although he is best known for his jazz performances and compositions, Lee is active in many styles of music.

After a degree in music at Indiana University, Lee moved to Portland, Oregon and began playing with one of the originators of jazz-rock fusion, Native American saxophonist and song writer Jim Pepper. In 1980 Lee moved to New York City and worked as a jazz pianist, performing with such jazz and pop stars as Don Cherry, Bill Frisell, Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and the Temptations. More recently Lee has worked with Bobby Hutcherson, Dewey Redman, Houston Person, Frank Foster, and Javon Jackson.

In 1985 Lee returned to Portland and became involved in music education at the college level around Portland. He began playing with drummer Mel Brown in 1986, and in 1989 the Mel Brown Sextet, playing Lee’s compositions and arrangements, won the international Hennessy Jazz Search beating out over 700 bands from around the world. The next year Lee’s CD Gordon Bleu won Best Jazz Recording of 1990 from the Northwest Music Association. Lee has 5 other CDs since then: Land Whales in New York, featuring Jim Pepper, 1991; On the Shoulders of Giants with Leroy Vinnegar, 1993; and Rough Jazz with John Gross, 1997. His CD, Flying Dream features an all-star big band from the Pacific Northwest and One-Two-Three features solo, duo and trio pieces.

Lee received a Master's of Music degree in conducting from Portland State University in 1999.

He has had commissions to compose chamber music and music for large ensembles from Oregon Symphony members, big band leaders,and vocalists including a collaboration with Ghanaian singer Obo Addy on an orchestral suite in 2004. He has taught improvisation and jazz history at Western Oregon University since 1999 and is Executive Director of the award winning W.O.U./Mel Brown Summer Jazz Camp. He has taught the jazz ensembles at Reed College since 2009. He has performed all over the world: several times at the Mt. Hood Festival of Jazz; the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in L, A.; the JFK Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.; Les Ducs des Lombards in Paris, France; across Austria and southern Germany; Tokyo, Japan; Lima, Peru; and Istanbul, Turkey. He has performed with the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra and the Oregon. He was a guest lecturer and performer in China in 2007.

A PDF file of Mr. Beleiciks's presentation can be viewed by clicking here. (This is a 6.4MB file, requiring a broadband connection.)

Nick Beleiciks is the state employment economist for the Oregon Employment Department where he serves as Oregon’s expert on trends in the workforce. He has coordinated a variety of employment related research projects during his six years with the Employment Department’s Workforce and Economic Research Division and is frequently quoted in the press about Oregon’s labor market situation.

Mr. Beleiciks writes articles and gives presentations on a wide range of employment topics, such as the challenges facing today’s workforce. He is a monthly contributor to Oregon Labor Trends magazine and his articles have been published in newspapers around the state.

Beleiciks holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Washington State University. Prior to joining the Oregon Employment Department, he was an assistant researcher in the Rural Studies Program at Oregon State University.

Contact Information
Nick Beleiciks
State Employment Economist
Oregon Employment Department
Nick.J.Beleiciks@state.or.us
(503) 947-2967
www.QualityInfo.org

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION- REALLY? This theory, made more popular with a movie of the same title, seems to be true given that we are able to communicate globally via social media. However, are the 7 billion of us really only separated by six people? Perhaps, but culturally, we are indeed much further apart from each other.

So, can we close this gap? If so, how? The goal of this class discussion is to show that there is a gap. Our objective is to discuss ways to close this gap.

Kemba Olabisi, a graduate of Biola University, received her MA in Intercultural studies. She is a recent resident of Salem. Prior to moving to Salem, Kemba worked and lived in Mongolia for the past four years. Kemba will share her preparations leading to her move to Mongolia; her life in Mongolia and her culture shock since returning to the States.

The Nazi's understanding and assessment of America shifted over time from idealization to ambivalence and finally criticism.

We will look at some selected instances of Nazi accounts of America spanning the period 1919 to 1945. While much of the change can be accounted for in terms of the American entry into the Second World War, some of the underlying claims about America remain constant. Drawing upon the contemporaneous observations of W.E.B. Dubois, we will consider: what if anything that the Nazis said about us remains valid today?

Sammy Basu is Professor of Politics at Willamette University.

Any uncertainty about climate change and its roots in human activity continues to diminish as scientific evidence mounts that human-generated greenhouse gases are triggering global warming. At a time when economic growth is slow and government deficits loom large, what policy options can address the threat of climate change? Professor Negri’s presentation will consider several policy options and assess their relative merits.

Don Negri is Professor of Economics, Associate Dean of College of Liberal Arts at Willamette University

After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1986 with a Ph.D. in economics, Professor Negri served as a Research Economist on the staff of the Economic Research Service, USDA from 1986 to 1989. In 1990 he joined the faculty of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. From 1999 to 2003 Professor Negri served as Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Willamette. His research interests include: common property resources, the economics of water and irrigation, and the impact of climate change on U.S. agriculture. He is currently studying the allocation of land and water on federally financed water supply districts.

Recent Publications:
Negri, Donald H., Noel Gollehon and Marcel Aillery, "The Effects of Climate Variability on U.S. Irrigation Adoption," Climatic Change,(69), pp. 299-323, April 2005.

Today’s session will deal with the historical development of the field of genetics and discuss major concepts. This will lay the background for my November discussion of applied molecular genetics.

In the first hour, I will discuss the history and development of the field of transmission genetics. What is a gene? Where are they located and how are they transmitted to progeny? We will look at a few human traits as examples. The “neat and tidy” inheritance patterns can become not so neat and tidy.

In the second half, I will develop the history and development of our understanding of gene action, as opposed to gene transmission. This will take us into the field of molecular genetics including the structure and function of DNA.

Grant Thorsett is Professor Emeritus at Willamette University.

Education:
PhD, Yale University 1969

Teaching Philosophy:
To be an effective teacher, one should be enthusiastic about one’s subject. I thoroughly enjoy both the subject matter that I teach and the interactions that I have with my students. I hope that my enthusiasm is transferred to the students and that they will become engaged in the area of genetics, both at the theoretical and applied level.

Research Interests:
Molecular techniques in microbial ecology

Constance Fowler (1907-1996) was a painter, printmaker, author, and educator who taught at Willamette University from 1935 to 1947. Best known for the expressive realism of her paintings and wood engravings produced in the 1930s and 1940s in Oregon, she would eventually work in personal variations of abstract movements that dominated American art after 1950.

Our presenter is Roger Hull, Professor Emeritus of Art History at Willamette, and Senior Faculty Curator of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. Professor Hull has a B.A. from Whitman College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University. From 1970 to 2010, he taught courses at Willamette University on Renaissance, American, and Modern art. He now lectures periodically, often on topics in Pacific Northwest art. He envisioned and helped establish the Hallie Ford Museum of Art.